How to Become a Life Coach in Kansas

If you thrive on helping others and enjoy watching people reach their full potential, life coaching may be the perfect career for you. In Kansas and the rest of the U.S., life coaches are growing in demand. People will always seek ways to better themselves, making life coaches valuable to have around. Life coaches are professionals who help people set goals, prioritize and work through challenges successfully.

Besides serving as a “buddy” to people who need a positive influence, life coaches teach lessons and identify obstacles. Life coach specialties range from health and fitness to career and finance, and help people of all backgrounds work through tough life challenges. It takes skills learned through training and experience to become a well-respected life coach. Some life coaches are employed by organizations and businesses, while others are self-employed, running their own small businesses.

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Steps to a Life Coaching Career

Anyone is free to practice as a life coach, because the career field isn’t regulated. However, clients are more likely to choose a life coach who has educational and practical experience, as well as professional certification. If you’d like to become a life coach, first make sure you graduate high school or earn your GED. Then, enroll in an accredited life coach training program before pursuing professional certifications from an organization like the International Coach Federation (ICF).

Studying for the Job

Because the field of life coaching is still so new, there aren’t many in-person training options available. Luckily, there are plenty of online and distance-learning options available for life coaches. To make sure you choose a quality training program, look for one accredited by the ICF, the leading organization in life coaching accreditation. Two options available to Kansas residents are:

  • Kansas Leadership Center (KLC). The KLC is a non-profit organization that offers training to prepare students for International Coach Federation’s (ICF’s) Associate Certified Coach (ACC) certification. The course is called Leadership Coach Intensive and lasts 60 hours. KLC is based in Wichita, Kansas.
  • Academy of Creative Coaching. This school, based in Georgia, offers an all-online learning program on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Students can study different levels of life coaching, from Associate Certified Coach (ACC) to Professional Certified Coach (PCC). For just the ACC, the program is 60 hours. To complete both, you’ll study for 125 hours.

Why Get Certified?

The ICF has set global standards for the profession of life coaching, achieving a reputation as an organization that can be trusted. Earning one of ICF’s professional certifications shows potential clients that you meet the standards set by ICF. Certification is your way of standing out in a sea of other life coaches. The more training you take and coaching experience you gain, the higher the level of certification you’ll be able to earn. ICF’s three levels of credentials are: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) or Master Certified Coach (MCC).

How Life Coaches are Paid in Kansas

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) hasn’t tracked the income or employment statistics for life coaches separate from other professions, so data is sparse. However, popular job website ZipRecruiter.com reports that the average salary of Kansas life coaches is $57,820 per year.

Individual life coach incomes vary widely due to workload, income from other sources and experience levels. ZipRecruiter’s salary estimates for life coaches in Kansas ranged from $10,016 all the way to $140,223. Self-employed life coaches have flexibility in setting their own rates, depending on demand for services and their experience level.

Kansas Locations for Success

You can become a life coach anywhere you can find people looking for help. Cities with larger populations provide more potential clients, which makes them a great place to start. According to ZipRecruiter, higher average life coach salaries were found in Kansas City, at $61,562, than in Wichita, which had an average life coach income of $57,428 in 2019. Overland Park fell right between those two, with its life coaches there earning an average of $59,472 per year.

There are lots of possibilities for a career in life coaching. You could be a healthy living coach for a local YMCA or open your own practice by starting your own business. Capitalize on your strengths and choose a life coach specialty that allows you to help people fulfill their dreams.